The present invention relates to a peg adapter device and more specifically to a peg adapter device adapted to fixedly support to plurality of peg holders and to prop up and advantageously display merchandise in a store.
In the modern retail market, competition is fierce among merchants. With ever increasing quantities of merchandise to display, these merchants frequently face article storage and display space limitations. To survive, they must overcome limited shelving space and incorporate an unlimited variety of new products into their display units. They must also face intense competition for the consumers"" interest as well emerging technologies such as the internet retail market. There is a constant demand in the industry for new improved methods of displaying a greater number of products especially if the new product is easy to assemble, cost effective and provides a greater ease for the loading of the stock on the shelving unit.
Various types of shelving units already exist and are commonly used in today""s retail stores. Although the shelving units are quite versatile on a horizontal plane there are limitations in the existing assemblies in that the displays are limited in depth of the vertical plane. To illustrate, if a narrow assembly is used to hold the retail product attached to the display wall; there is a significant amount of retail space lost in front of this assembly. This lost space could be advantageously used to prop up more salable products without visually or physically disturbing access to the more inwardly (or in-depth) displayed goods. Similarly, most prop up devices currently in use do not give access storing space behind the display assembly.
Peg adapter devices currently in use by retailers to display retail goods are not generally mounted in a fixed position and are frequently horizontally laterally slideable. (Most systems use some form of rail structure which does not restrict the lateral displacement of the peg devices). This method of display is limited in that the retailers have to frequently adjust the pegs and goods on display. This is neither time nor cost effective. There is a real demand for a peg retaining device that could effectively retain the pegs without any horizontal displacement but would still allow the easy loading and removal of sellable goods.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide a multi peg adapter device that obviates the above noted disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a multi peg adapter device that can be selectively positioned forwardly to another display assembly or to an empty space to make selective room for product display.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a multi peg adapter device that provides fixed attachment points for the different pegs/peg holders.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a multi peg adapter device that has an adjustable length.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a multi peg adapter device that is versatile, easy to use and manufacture.
An advantage of the present invention is that it helps retail merchants to easily change, reorganize, modify and improve the way their merchandise is displayed.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided herein, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a multi peg supporting adapter for supporting a generally elongated peg, the multi peg supporting adapter being mountable to an anchoring structure attached to a wall, the anchoring structure including attachment apertures formed therein, the peg defining a peg longitudinal axis, a peg first end and an opposed peg second end, the multi peg supporting adapter comprises:
a supporting bracket, the supporting bracket having a generally elongated configuration defining a bracket longitudinal axis, a bracket first end and a generally opposed bracket second end, the bracket first end being provided with a bracket releasable mounting means for releasably anchoring the bracket first end to the anchoring structure so that the bracket is cantilevered relative to the anchoring structure with the bracket second end positioned away from the anchoring structure;
a generally elongated supporting rod, the supporting rod defining a rod longitudinal axis, a rod first end and an opposed rod second end;
a rod-to-bracket releasable attachment means for releasably attaching the rod first end to the supporting bracket so that the rod longitudinal axis extends in a generally perpendicular relationship relative to the bracket longitudinal axis; the rod-to-bracket releasable attachment means allowing the rod first end to be attached to the supporting bracket at predetermined attachment locations positioned along the supporting bracket between the bracket first and second ends;
a peg-to-rod releasable attachment means for releasably attaching the peg first end to the supporting rod so that the peg longitudinal axis extends in a generally perpendicular relationship relative to the rod longitudinal axis, the peg-to-rod releasable attachment means allowing for the peg first end to be attached to the supporting rod at predetermined attachment locations positioned along the supporting rod between the rod first and second ends.
Preferably, the supporting rod has telescoping rod segments for allowing telescopic length adjustment of the supporting rod.
Preferably, the supporting bracket has a generally flat configuration defining a pair of opposed bracket surfaces, the bracket also defining a bracket attachment edge;
the rod-to-bracket releasable attachment means including at least two attachment notches spaced along the bracket attachment edge and an attachment leg extending from the rod first end, the attachment leg being configured and sized for being at least partially insertable into the attachment notches and retractable therefrom, wherein when the attachment leg is at least partially inserted into a corresponding attachment notch the attachment leg is also releasably secured thereto.
Preferably, each of the attachment notches defines a notch first edge extending inwardly and generally perpendicularly to the bracket attachment edge into the supporting bracket; each of the attachment notches also defining a notch second edge intercepting the notch first edge and extending in a direction generally parallel to bracket attachment edge; each of the attachment notches further defining a notch third edge, the notch third edge extending at an angle between the notch second edge and the bracket attachment edge.
Preferably, the attachment leg includes a leg spacing segment and a leg attachment segment, the leg spacing segment extending between the rod first end and the leg attachment segment; the leg attachment segment having a generally U-shaped cross-sectional configuration defining a pair of spaced apart abutment plates, the leg attachment segment being at least partially insertable into one of the attachment notches with each of the abutment plates abutting against a corresponding one of the bracket surfaces.
Preferably, the anchoring structure includes an anchoring pilaster. attachable in a generally vertical orientation to the wall, the anchoring pilaster having a generally U-shaped cross-sectional configuration defining a pair of pilaster spacing segments maintained in a spaced apart and generally perpendicular relationship relative to each other by a pilaster anchoring segment, the attachment apertures having a generally slot-shaped configuration;
the bracket releasable mounting means including a bracket anchoring hook extending from the bracket first end, the bracket anchoring hook being provided for inserting and releasably anchoring into one of the attachment apertures.
Alternatively, the anchoring structure includes pegboard attachable in a generally parallel relationship to the wall, the attachment apertures having a generally disk-shaped configuration;
the bracket releasable mounting means including a bracket-peg hook extending from the bracket first end, the bracket-peg hook being provided for inserting and releasably anchoring into one of the attachment apertures.
Preferably, the supporting rod includes a rod core and a rod sleeve slidably mounted thereon for telescopic movement relative thereto, the peg-to-rod releasable attachment means including at least two attachment rods attached to the supporting rod and extending in a direction generally parallel to the latter, the attachment rods being in a spaced apart relationship relative to each other so as to define an attachment rod spacing therebetween, the attachment rod spacing being configured and sized for releasably receiving an attachment section of the peg first end.
Preferably, the peg-to-rod releasable attachment means includes a stopper member attached to the attachment rods for preventing sliding movement of the peg relative to supporting rod along the longitudinal axis.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a multi peg supporting adapter for supporting a generally elongated peg, the multi peg supporting adapter being mountable to an anchoring structure attached to a wall, the anchoring structure including attachment apertures formed therein, the peg defining a peg longitudinal axis, a peg first end and an opposed peg second end, the multi peg supporting adapter comprises:
a pair of supporting brackets, each of the supporting brackets having a generally elongated configuration defining a bracket longitudinal axis, a bracket first end and a generally opposed bracket second end, the bracket first end being provided with a bracket releasable mounting means for releasably anchoring the bracket first end to the anchoring structure so that the bracket is cantilevered relative to the anchoring structure with the bracket second end positioned away from the anchoring structure;
a generally elongated supporting rod, the supporting rod defining a rod longitudinal axis, a rod first end and an opposed rod second end;
a rod-to-bracket releasable attachment means for releasably attaching the rod first and second ends to a corresponding one of the supporting brackets so that the rod longitudinal axis extends in a generally perpendicular relationship relative to the bracket longitudinal axis; the rod-to-bracket releasable attachment means allowing the rod first and second ends to be respectively attached to the corresponding one of the supporting brackets at predetermined attachment locations positioned along the supporting brackets between the bracket first and second ends;
a peg-to-rod releasable attachment means for releasably attaching the peg first end to the supporting rod so that the peg longitudinal axis extends in a generally perpendicular relationship relative to the rod longitudinal axis, the pegto-rod releasable attachment means allowing for the peg first end to be attached to the supporting rod at predetermined attachment locations positioned along the supporting rod between the rod first and second ends.